By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: The district administration and police have launched a crackdown in Landikotal Bazaar, sealing more than 20 shops belonging to Afghan traders allegedly residing and operating businesses illegally, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The crackdown was led by tehsildar Malik Haji Taimur Afridi, along with Assistant Sub-Inspector Saddam Hussain Shinwari, accompanied by police personnel, who carried out the operation in different marketplaces in the bazaar. Authorities said the crackdown would continue, warning that over 200 more shops and commercial centers linked to Afghan traders would also be sealed in the coming days.
According to district officials, the action was being taken on the directives of higher authorities as part of efforts to address illegal residence and business activities.
Afghan nationals living unlawfully were urged to return to their country in a “dignified manner.”
However, the operation has triggered concerns among residents and small traders, who allege selective enforcement. Residents argue that while poor Afghan vendors and small shopkeepers were being targeted, influential and well-connected Afghan refugees were being spared.
They demanded that the government ensure equal implementation of the law, stressing that action should not discriminate between the weak and the powerful. “If the policy is to act against illegal Afghans and their businesses, then it must be applied across the board without exception,” several locals said, calling for transparency and fairness in the ongoing crackdown.
